Republic Bikes

I came across Republic Bikes today and they seem pretty neat. They have two bike designs to choose from, either a track frame of a dutch sit up and beg frame. The idea is that these are shared designs that you then make your own by choosing your own components.

aristotle!

I really like the idea of a pretty cheap off-the-peg bike that can really easily be made your own! The one thing I don’t like about my bike is that they are everywhere, and I’ve ended up spending quite a bit of money making it my own (not that I mind too much!).

I don’t know how good quality the bikes actually are, but from the pictures they seem pretty nice. Overall, I think it’s the idea of a sort of open-source bike that I really like!

plato!

Also, the open-sourced nerd in my enjoyed the fact they made the google-bikes!

Cycling while Pregnant

Yesterday I saw this really postive and inspiring article about cycling while pregnant. Just the day before I had seen a pregnant cyclist and had thought to myself I wonder if I would keep cycling if I was pregnant (which is a scenario I am unlikely to face as I don’t think I ever will be, but anyway).

awesome lady!

It was really nice to read that she hadn’t let the views (which were often negative) of others effect her and that she carried on cycling. It was also interesting to read how in European countries women wouldn’t think of doing anything different and would keep riding until the day of the birth (I particularly enjoyed the story about the lady who cycled to hospital!)

It was also interesting (and rather disheartening) to see the way people (mainly men actually) felt it was their responsibilty and right to tell ‘pregnant women’ what they can and can’t do. It’s as if more than ever, when you are pregnant you are public property to be poked and prodded by everyone and their dog. And to be told all sorts of conflicting information about the most mundane parts of life. It seems if some people had their way women would stay indoors for 9 months wrapped in blankets.

But, overall, there were lots of encouraging responses. It was rather ironic to see that most first hand experience of cycling while pregnant were positive, and it was people who had never been pregnant (or could ever be) that were dishing out the negative advice!

I hope that we start to see more positive and encourage article about the benefits of cycling, rather than endless scaremongering.

Cool Girls on Bikes!

via candy cranks

Bicycle Tattoo

This is an absolutely amazing tattoo, perhaps the best cycling tattoo I’ve ever seen!

amazing!

It’s by Jeremy Swan at Broken Art Tattoo and it’s owned by this lady.

Cycling is Good for You!

let’s go ride a bike is one of my all time favourite blogs. yesterday dottie made an incredible post about cycling and self-esteem which basically sums up how I feel about cycling and everything I love about it.

dottie of let's go ride a bike

“In our bipolar society, where the most obese population in the world is inundated with dangerous images of “beauty” by the media and where “fit” people drive to the gym to run on the treadmill, millions are locked in a struggle with their bodies.  Even healthy and otherwise happy young women waste immeasurable time fixated on perceived flaws and self-loathing.”

Since I was about 11 years old this has been how I felt and treated my body. I used to do Irish Dancing which involved doing around 16 hours practise and exercise every week as well as competitions which lasted all day at the weekends. I was really fit and very thin (too thin) but I hated my body. I felt fat and unnatractive and would take pains to cover myself at every opportunity. When we had P.E at school I would sit hunching my legs under me and crossing my arms over my stomach, trying to make myself as small as possible.

These feelings didn’t leave as I got older, they only became more ingrained, to the point where I would deny that I even felt like that anymore, that I didn’t care, while covering myself in baggy tops and dresses.

Then I bought a bike and decided to cycle to work everyday, and suddenly everything changed.

“The solution is a lifestyle change that favors simplicity over excess and regards the human body as a tool rather than merely a decoration. A big part of such a lifestyle is active transportation especially cycling. Riding a bicycle as daily transportation can radically shift both how you feel and how you feel about yourself.”

I began to love the idea that my body was capable of getting from one side of London to the other…and it wasn’t that hard! It was empowering to know that those muscley legs I always hated where powering me and my bike. I looked and felt better, I was getting healthier and loosing all the flab, but the best part was how good I felt on the inside.

Since I started cycling everyday I have not only come to appreciate the work my body can do and to like the way I look more, but more importantly my mental health has imporoved. I feel that now I know that I can cycle around London unscathed, I can do anything I put my mind too. And that really is a good place to be.